Friday Donuts

Dear Members and Constituents, With Thursday being Thanksgiving I thought I would throw out a list of things for which I’m grateful. My wife and children's hugs –even when they are the result of a broken heart or a scraped knee Ski season –even if I can only go up twice and it means putting-up with cold weather in Denver for several months Pink Floyd –even though I dislike the song Sheep (and the entire Animals album for that matter) Good food –with the possible exception of beef liver and escargot Awesome co-workers –even those who feel compelled to schedule 4:30 Friday afternoon meetings Fridays –today is no exception with Iky Chan marking her debut as donut girl (donuts are here) What are the things for which you are grateful? P.S. My children would also be grateful if you purchased a fir Christmas wreath from them (today’s your last chance, sign-up sheet is at my desk) Happy Friday

Dear Members and Constituents, I traveled to Huntsville, Alabama for the first time this week. I was pleasantly surprised to find a modern city with a rather diverse population. NASA, military contractors and the highest concentration of rocket scientists were not at all what I expected (I will spare you the stereotypes about the south that had crossed my mind). I was there for my first hardware manufacturer vendor conference. Again, I was pleasantly surprised to find how much insight I was able to gain, not only about their products but about the marketplace (and they paid for all expenses). And while I must confess I was not thrilled to come back to Denver’s first snowfall of the season, I must confess the beauty of snow-covered peaks has had a positive effect on my psyche. Speaking of firsts, today is the first Friday of the new donut rotation. Granted, having donuts at my desk on a Friday is by no means a surprise, it is pleasant, nonetheless. It is also the first week Steve Hibbar

Dear members and constituents Did you hear about the billion dollar home Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India, has built for his five person household? Yes, you read right, one BILLION dollars (insert Dr. Evil laugh ). The 27 story humble abode is located in downtown Mumbai, a city where 56% of the population lives in slums. That's over 10 MILLION people (insert Dr. Evil laugh). Granted, he's probably creating 300 housekeeping jobs, but, how does somebody get so disconnected from reality? I mean, really! Details are being held close to the vest and everybody involved has signed non-disclosure agreements, so, of course, rumors of what the amenities might be are rampant. Some things are obvious: three helipads on the roof can't be hidden. Others tease the imagination. I too have succumbed to the temptation and made-up my own list of what I would Put in my next $1 billion home. There's the obvious ones like the room that controls the weather or a BMW shop (not my origin